By: Adam Aptowitzer A recent decision of the Tax Court illustrates a concept whose importance is only matched by the universality to which it is ignored. The case of Lichtman involved a number of Orthodox Rabbis teaching at an Orthodox Jewish school in Vancouver. The Rabbis claimed what is known as the “Clergy Residence Deduction” […]
By: Kara Johnson When average Canadian taxpayers pay attention to the receipts issued to them by Canadian charities to which they have donated, it is probably for two reasons: to ensure they actually have them all in hand at tax filing time, and to identify the dollar amounts therein so that they can put them […]
By: Kara Johnson Employers who don’t want to seem like Scrooge and instead partake in a gift-giving spirit, might want to be aware of potential payroll tax implications. The law clearly taxes benefits provided by an employer to an employee in the context of their work relationship. However, that relationship may also be fertile ground […]
By: Alexandra Tzannidakis In the public mind, the idea of tax credits for giving to ‘good causes’ sometimes leads to confusion and conflation of charitable tax credits and political tax credits. The truth is that charities and political causes are legally very distinct concepts (there is no such thing as a political charity) and although […]
By: C. Yvonne Chenier, Q.C. Santa Baby [1] Santa baby, send a CRA[2] Agent, to me I’ve been an awful good girl, Santa baby Governing my charity right Santa baby, a Charities Education Program[3], too, so cute Well I’ll wait up for you, dear, Santa baby So hurry down your list tonight, yeah Think […]
By: Adam Aptowitzer In writing on the donation of capital assets such as publicly traded securities we often describe the adjusted cost base in static terms. Indeed, when discussing donations of assets where there is no tax on the disposition, such as publicly traded securities, certified cultural property or environmental property the cost base is […]
By: Arthur Drache For myriad reasons circumstances may arise where a community may be threatened by a loss of services and may have to turn to outside sources to help. A few decades ago, for example, the Province of Manitoba had a programme which helped provide dental services to small towns which had no accessible […]
By: Alexandra Tzannidakis Many larger charities are structured in such a way that there is a head organization with subordinate divisions operating below it. For example, a charity that operates across the country may do so by way of local ‘chapters’ overseen by a main organization, or a religious governing body may have several related […]
By: Alexandra Tzannidakis Among other things, Bill 154 (the proposed Cutting Unnecessary Red Tape Act) makes significant changes to the Charities Accounting Act (“CAA”). The changes give charities increased freedom and certainty in making “social investments” where the focus is mission-related results rather than financial benefit to the charity. A brief backgrounder is in order […]
By: Karen Cooper On September 14, 2017 the Honorable Brad Duguid (irony?), Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Growth introduced Bill 154, Cutting Unnecessary Red Tape Act, 2017, (“Bill 154”) as part of a government initiative to reduce red tape – red tape is an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or formal rules. Bill […]